Packing of cigarettes



Iune 27, 1933. M. P. E. HOHN PACKING OF CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 9. 1931 Patented June 2 7, 1 933 MAX:- i AUL Enns'r) 1mm, WI E D G RMA Y, smears e v n; l I CIGABETTENMASCHINENFABRIK- J10. manna & 0, DQESDEN GERMANY,

" rAcKInG or CIGABETTES Application iiled January 9, 1931, Serial No.

supply to the packing, machine. For this purpose useis made of a propertyof cigarettes which have. been-pressed flat in known manner, namely that the two curved surfaces do not possess thesame curvature; Owing to the overlapping of the paper on the seam side, a flatter curvature formedon that side- .than. on'the opposite 'sidewhich is provided:

with the printing;

According to the mvention, the cigarettes -are now conveyed flat past a .feeler devi e,

inversely, the side of greatercurvature is exposed,- because, of course,-1t is substantially jurel,

i which explores thejside lying upwa-rd for the time being and ascertains whether the flatter or the greater curvature lies upward,and if ,it is the flattercurvature i. e., theseam side,

sets-into operation an apparatus for turning thecigarettes into the opposite position. If desired, turningmay-also be effect-ed when,

amatter of all the smooth isurfaces' being directed in one direction when. the cigarettes I are supplied tothe packing machine, in order faces, i. c. all theinscriptions face upward.

One construction of such an apparatus is shown diagrammatically by way of example in the accompanying'ggv drawing, in which; Figure 1 isa sideelevation.thereof,-. Figure 2 is a cross-section through Fig- Figure 3 shows illustrates the supply of (i ir t, f trical connections;

The cigarettes 1 areplacedfiat-and are carried on an endlesszconveyor chain, the

.links 2 of which are provided with'troughs 3 for carrying the individual cigarettes. A cfeelerdevice isprovided above the convey ing apparatus; the said feelerdevice com-1.

prises a revolving shaft 4; carrying two. discs 5 and .6 oppositeone another, which are provided around their margins with troughshaped notches 7 The said notches ,7 are arranged at such intervals from-one another that, with uniform rotation of the wheel, and

I a side elevation gle feeIerdevice taken from Figure 1,;and'

507,705, and in eemmi September 10, 1930.

uniform feed ofthe conveyor chain, the successive trough-shapeddepressions of the conveyor chain 2 and of the {discs 5 and 6 coincide with one another, so that the. flat-lying cigarettes. are secured or held by the, discs 5 and 6 in their flat-positions-in the troughs of the chain. .The two discs 5 ,andfi are so arranged that thedistance between their the two discs '5, and (Sand comprisesa sleeve- (shaped body 8, which is mounted fast on the shaft 4 and in whichare provided anumber of pins-9 corresponding tothe-number. of troughs 7 The said pinscairrycollars '10 with which they'bear against the insideof the sleeve-shaped body 8.i The; pins are .pressedaoutwardly vby springs 11 so thatthe collars bear against thebody 8-; On the outer V end, the pinscarry piston-shaped parts 12, to which are se'curedcylinders' 14 by means one on each side ofthe said cylinders by means of screws ;or the. like.- The feelers of pins 13 passing transverselytherethrough. Two feelers ,15and 16 are rigidly secured are provided at their lower ends with plateshaped projections 17, which are. adaptedto the shape of the cigarettes and are situated at such a distance apartas to enterinto the troughs 3 of the conveyor-f chain and torest outwardly upon the cigarettes, that is to say,

to rest upon the same close to their acute .bends. Fe'eler pins 18 are mounted"v in the cylinders 14 and are moved in an outward direction; from the cylinders by springs 19. The pins-18 carry on their free ends feeler plates 20. Within the cylinders the pins carry centactplates 21, which, as shown in 'Figure Z, project out of the'cylinders v14E .through slots in the .same, and are provided with jupwardly directed points. Contact ,pIatesLQQ. are provided on the cylinders, op-

fpo'sit'e the said point. On the cylinders 1d, a which consistof anelectrically non-conductcylinders, which pins pass through the contact plates "22 and are electrically joined therewith; The said pins are each e'mb'raced by one. endof acontact spring 2 1,, the other ing'materialare also pins 23, inserted in the i outer feelers 15 and 1}6. The result of this The current supply, as will be gathered. more particularly from Figure 3, is effected in such a manner that one pole of the source of power is connected through a lead 30 by means of a contact spring to the shaft 4. Thence the current passes through the sleeve 8-,the pin 9, the pin 18, the contact 21, and,

if a pair of the contacts 21, '22 is closed, through the latter, thep-in 23', thelead 24,

the pin 25, the disc26, the lead28, the collector ring 29 and through the lead 31 back again to the second pole.

The mode of operation of the device is accordingly as follows I I The cigarettes areplaced in the troughs 3 of the" conveyor belt 2,, and the latter moves forward uniformly in the direction of the arrow, Figure l. Atthe same time, the eX- ploring apparatus is rotated uniformly by the shaft in the direction of the arrow, so that the successive troughs of the chain and of the exploring apparatus are brought into coincidence with one another. The exploring apparatus bears against the upper side of the cigarette in the manner to be seen in Figure The two outer feelers 15 and I6 bear against the sidesand adjust the entire cylinder 14:, which is of course slidab-le in the sleeve 8, against the action: of thespring 11, according to the height on the edges of the cigarette in the trough. The middle feeler 20 then engages with the most curved por- :tion of the cigarette, and according as to whether the-curvature is greater or flatter, the middle pin I8 with the feeler 20 willbe displaced more or less with-respect to the displacement is to move the contact pin 21, and the distance between the twocontacts 21 1 and 22' is so proportioned that thedifference in curvature between'the seam side and the smooth side of the cigarette is suflicienti'to move the contact pin'21 so far as tomake,

contact. The making of contact is then utili zed for turning the incorrectly lying cigarettes'. Devices that are put into operation by a contact and effect the turning of incorrectly-lying cigarettes are; known per se and consequently do not require detai'leddescription. I

In the example described, it is not a question as to how high the cigarette lies in the trough 2' itself, i. e., whether it lies on the bottom of the trough or whether, for examthetrough and the cigarette, because the closthe smooth side lies upward.

ing of the contact only depends upon how far the middle feeler is displaced with respect tothe outer feelers, that is to say, solely upon the actual curvature of the top side. Of course, however, other constructions may be developed Thus, for example, the shape of the troughs in the conveyor chain 2 may be adapted exactly to the greater curvature of the. cigarette, in this. case when the cigarette lies with its flatter curvature downward a certain amount of clearance is left between the trough and cigarette, so that the cigarette actually lies higher and the contact may then be released through this higher position of the cigarette.

Since the greater curvature of the cigarette is on the printed side, the contact in the example shown will always be closed when In this" case, therefore, it would be convenient to arrange the turning apparatus so'that it remains inoperative when the current is closed, but comes into operation on the contrary, when it is interrupted. I Y

Constructionally, of course, the device may be executed in still other ways For example, instead of arranging the feelers on revolving discs, they may also be arranged on endless-bands, or also, instead of effecting the supply of cigarettes by a conveyor belt, it maybe effected by conveyor drums with trough-shaped recesses around theperi phcry, and" the like. Also, in manufacturingthe cigarettes, the curvature may intentionally be made to differ somewhat more considers I. A feeler device for detecting incorrectlylying cigarettes during conveyance toa' packing machine comprising a pluralitynof feelers adapted to'be moved independently of each other and differently according to the curva-; ture of the cigarettes,'the difference in the movement of said feelers being used for controlling the turning of the cigarettes.

2. A feeler device for detecting incorrectlylying cigarettes during conveyance to a pacle ing machine comprising three feelers, two" outer feelers thereof beingcomm-only movable and bearing against the edgesof the fiat lying cigarettes, and the middle feeler being; movable independently of the others and bearing on the highest'part' of; the curva-" ture of the. cigarette, the difference inthe movement of the middle feeler with respect 'to the'outer feelers being utilizedfor controlling the turningof the cigarettes; 3. A device for detectingincorrectly-lying cigarettes during conveyance to a packing machine comprisingfeeler devices, a holder for said feeler device's, eachof' said feeler ple, a cavity is left between'the bottom of devices comprising a trough for holding the cigarette and a plurallty of feelersadapted the movement of said feelers controlling the.

to be I moved differently. according to the curvature of the cigarette-the difference in middle feeler being movable independently of the others and bearing on the highest part of the curvature,,a holding piece for the two outer feelers of each feeler device guided in said holder and guiding the middle feeler, and means arranged on ers against the cigarette, the difference in the movement of the middle feeler with respect to the outer feeler controlling the turning J of thelcigarettesr 5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4:,in which the holding piece consists of an electricallynon-conducting material and carries a contact, against which, when the curved side of the cigarette is" explored, bears a contact pin secured to the middle feeler.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

7 MAX PAUL ERNST HOHN.

said-holder and holding pleces for resiliently pressing said feel 

